EPI 200C Floorstanding Speakers

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-6 of 6

[May 22, 2014]

Joey

Audio Enthusiast

I bought this original nice pair of EPI200C about 5 years ago for a large sum of money. I guess it was very well worth it as it was in pristine almost mint condition. I was looking for a nice pair of speakers for my 7355 PP tube integrated amp which I rebuilt from scratch. These 200Cs are just fantastic. It is very easy to drive, the bass is full bodied you can hear it from room to room. The highs are also very nice, much to do with the famous inverted dome tweeter. And the best thing about these speakers, parts are very easy to get through Human Speakers. I always listen to jazz and R&B which are very well reproduced with these EPIs. These will be for keeps as the enjoyment seems to last as time goes by. I am considering horn loaded speakers for my tubes but it won't be in the near future.

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[May 22, 2014]

Joey

Audio Enthusiast

I bought this original nice pair of EPI200C about 5 years ago for a large sum of money. I guess it was very well worth it as it was in pristine almost mint condition. I was looking for a nice pair of speakers for my 7355 PP tube integrated amp which I rebuilt from scratch. These 200Cs are just fantastic. It is very easy to drive, the bass is full bodied you can hear it from room to room. The highs are also very nice, much to do with the famous inverted dome tweeter. And the best thing about these speakers, parts are very easy to get through Human Speakers. I always listen to jazz and R&B which are very well reproduced with these EPIs. These will be for keeps as the enjoyment seems to last as time goes by. I am considering horn loaded speakers for my tubes but it won't be in the near future.

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Aug 07, 2013]

skiskort

Audio Enthusiast

I have the Epicure model 200 which I have recently finished rebuilding ...(new surrounds on drivers and radiators and new x-overs). Before I installed the new x-overs I was so impressed with the full high to low frequency these speakers are capable of, that I rotated them into my main system replacing speakers costing 50 times what you can get these for! These are some of the smoothest speakers I have ever heard, and when my audiophile friend came to hear them he said now you are approaching "audiophile" sound!!! Mind blowing! Get a pair and have fun with out breaking your bank!

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Aug 07, 2013]

skiskort

Audio Enthusiast

I have the Epicure model 200 which I have recently finished rebuilding ...(new surrounds on drivers and radiators and new x-overs). Before I installed the new x-overs I was so impressed with the full high to low frequency these speakers are capable of, that I rotated them into my main system replacing speakers costing 50 times what you can get these for! These are some of the smoothest speakers I have ever heard, and when my audiophile friend came to hear them he said now you are approaching "audiophile" sound!!! Mind blowing! Get a pair and have fun with out breaking your bank!

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Feb 07, 2012]

Ken

Audio Enthusiast

I have 2 pair of the EPI 100's I got the 200c's for $50 The sound is similar to the 100's but with a passive radiator
the bass is more pronounced. I upgraded the binding posts to accept banana plugs and redid the crossover
with Solen caps. These sound beautiful blows the doors off the crap out there today for $1000
If you can find these grab them highly recommended

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Feb 07, 2012]

Ken

Audio Enthusiast

I have 2 pair of the EPI 100's I got the 200c's for $50 The sound is similar to the 100's but with a passive radiator
the bass is more pronounced. I upgraded the binding posts to accept banana plugs and redid the crossover
with Solen caps. These sound beautiful blows the doors off the crap out there today for $1000
If you can find these grab them highly recommended

This speaker is a sleeper! There were several variations on the design, and the latter ones actually use the "flat" passive radiator that was developed for the A-500, and was a bit better "Time Aligned" than the earlier and more conventional "con" type passive radiator. I have never heard a PR design, and very few ported designs for that matter, that struck me as both accurate and very easy to listen to for long periods. Well, the 200C is an exception. I'd have to say that it competes very favorably with a rather expensive pair of modern speakers in my stable, and I really didn't think that would happen. With a few upgrades from sources like Humanspeakers.com and Tributeaudio, 8 inch woofer can be easilly refoamed and the early Eighties speaker clips can be replaced with nice binding posts. If you wind up with the later model with the flat PR, the surround is butyl rubber, and won't need replacing. The walnut cabinets are very pretty, althogh these speakers a re a bit large. They are quite accurate, and in all areas. Many modern towers fail to render saxaphones properly, making them sound "sma''. The EPI 200C nails it, making Canonball Adderly and John Coltrane sound as if they are in the room with you on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue album, and Miles' trumpet never sounds strident. What really surprized me was how well these speakers image! They do as well as some small monitors, and you won't be needing a subwoofer...nice, tight bass comes naturally to these. In a word, they are both musical and accurate, and really well make a lot of modern speakers look silly. If you find a pair at a decent price, you can't go wrong.

Customer Service

Well, EPI is gone, but Humanspeakers.com and Tributeaudio.com offer very reasonably priced parts, advice and service, probably better than most manufacturers that ARE still around ; )

This speaker is a sleeper! There were several variations on the design, and the latter ones actually use the "flat" passive radiator that was developed for the A-500, and was a bit better "Time Aligned" than the earlier and more conventional "con" type passive radiator. I have never heard a PR design, and very few ported designs for that matter, that struck me as both accurate and very easy to listen to for long periods. Well, the 200C is an exception. I'd have to say that it competes very favorably with a rather expensive pair of modern speakers in my stable, and I really didn't think that would happen. With a few upgrades from sources like Humanspeakers.com and Tributeaudio, 8 inch woofer can be easilly refoamed and the early Eighties speaker clips can be replaced with nice binding posts. If you wind up with the later model with the flat PR, the surround is butyl rubber, and won't need replacing. The walnut cabinets are very pretty, althogh these speakers a re a bit large. They are quite accurate, and in all areas. Many modern towers fail to render saxaphones properly, making them sound "sma''. The EPI 200C nails it, making Canonball Adderly and John Coltrane sound as if they are in the room with you on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue album, and Miles' trumpet never sounds strident. What really surprized me was how well these speakers image! They do as well as some small monitors, and you won't be needing a subwoofer...nice, tight bass comes naturally to these. In a word, they are both musical and accurate, and really well make a lot of modern speakers look silly. If you find a pair at a decent price, you can't go wrong.

Customer Service

Well, EPI is gone, but Humanspeakers.com and Tributeaudio.com offer very reasonably priced parts, advice and service, probably better than most manufacturers that ARE still around ; )

Overall a nice, pleasing older speaker with clear extended highs and capable bass. Well worth the $50 in parts costs I sunk into them.

Weakness:

There are better older designs IMHO. But maybe not for the prices at which these are available (mine were free!)

I received these as cast offs from a neighor with rotted surrounds. They had seen better days, but the cabinets were like new. I replaced the surrounds,rewired with 12Ga. OFC internal cable and eliminated the resistors, installed a new Solens 10uF cap, and installed new gold plated 5 way large binding posts. I also dressed the rubber surround of the passive radiator with silicone grease. They are now much better than new. These actually sound really decent. They are not a "to die for" current design that is competitive with really good mid-fi equipment today, but they are just decent. I am sure they are plenty peaky and dipping running an 8" driver and radiator with no crossover circuit, but they are musical. One thing I will say about the tweeter: I reviewed an older pair of EPII 100's and I said the tweeters were junk, which they were. Apparently, these were the first generation EPI square tweeters and don't age well. these have the more modern "gold ring" tweeters which are very good indeed. Not a focal, but hey, it's a 1980 product. I would recommend these if you want some decent bass, and can pick them up cheaply.

Similar Products Used:

AR 3a's with upgraded tweeters and crossovers

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[May 24, 2002]

gfattore

AudioPhile

Strength:

Overall a nice, pleasing older speaker with clear extended highs and capable bass. Well worth the $50 in parts costs I sunk into them.

Weakness:

There are better older designs IMHO. But maybe not for the prices at which these are available (mine were free!)

I received these as cast offs from a neighor with rotted surrounds. They had seen better days, but the cabinets were like new. I replaced the surrounds,rewired with 12Ga. OFC internal cable and eliminated the resistors, installed a new Solens 10uF cap, and installed new gold plated 5 way large binding posts. I also dressed the rubber surround of the passive radiator with silicone grease. They are now much better than new. These actually sound really decent. They are not a "to die for" current design that is competitive with really good mid-fi equipment today, but they are just decent. I am sure they are plenty peaky and dipping running an 8" driver and radiator with no crossover circuit, but they are musical. One thing I will say about the tweeter: I reviewed an older pair of EPII 100's and I said the tweeters were junk, which they were. Apparently, these were the first generation EPI square tweeters and don't age well. these have the more modern "gold ring" tweeters which are very good indeed. Not a focal, but hey, it's a 1980 product. I would recommend these if you want some decent bass, and can pick them up cheaply.

Similar Products Used:

AR 3a's with upgraded tweeters and crossovers

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Feb 11, 2001]

Steve

Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great dynamics, firm base, good power handling

Weakness:

Woofer foam surround

Still have these babies! These are classic, great entry speakers in the 70's. Definite step up from the great EPI100s. Beautiful Walnut cabinets. Great speaker.Clear crisp sound, great balance. Can take 100W continous. Woofers, tweeters can be repaired/replaced thru "Humanspeakers.com" Great speaker for its time still good. If you're short on the $$$ and can find a pair of these, even the EPI100s grab them!

Similar Products Used:

don't remember - mid 70's

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Feb 11, 2001]

Steve

Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great dynamics, firm base, good power handling

Weakness:

Woofer foam surround

Still have these babies! These are classic, great entry speakers in the 70's. Definite step up from the great EPI100s. Beautiful Walnut cabinets. Great speaker.Clear crisp sound, great balance. Can take 100W continous. Woofers, tweeters can be repaired/replaced thru "Humanspeakers.com" Great speaker for its time still good. If you're short on the $$$ and can find a pair of these, even the EPI100s grab them!

Similar Products Used:

don't remember - mid 70's

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Oct 06, 2000]

Bill

Strength:

Smooth response, Solid bass, durability

Weakness:

Foam woofer surrounds

The EPI 200's are large two way floor standing speakers with inverted dome tweeters, 8" woofers and 12" passive radiators. The rectangular boxes are about 32"x24"x11" The EPI 100 reviews were wrapped in nostalgia, and I did buy these with a test record of Free Fire and water, but they sound great with clasical and acoustic as well as bass heavy rock. They have served me well for these nearly twenty years. I have changed out all my other gear over that time but have stuck with the EPI's. I am using them with a set of even older EPI towers that have four 6 1/2" woofers and four tweeters in each. The 200's are fronts, and the towers spread the sound over the whole room. The 200's don't require a lot of amplifier power, 1/3 volume on a 60 watt receiver is pretty loud. The woofer foam surrounds had to be replaced once, and I blew a tweeter with a high volume Photon torpedo sound on my Commodore 64. I have seen some EPI tweeters in which the plastic front twisted from age or heat. If you find a set with bad surrounds, buy them, they are easy and inexpensive to repair, and you will save money and have better sound than with most of the speakers you would buy these days.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity, Large Advent

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Oct 06, 2000]

Bill

Strength:

Smooth response, Solid bass, durability

Weakness:

Foam woofer surrounds

The EPI 200's are large two way floor standing speakers with inverted dome tweeters, 8" woofers and 12" passive radiators. The rectangular boxes are about 32"x24"x11" The EPI 100 reviews were wrapped in nostalgia, and I did buy these with a test record of Free Fire and water, but they sound great with clasical and acoustic as well as bass heavy rock. They have served me well for these nearly twenty years. I have changed out all my other gear over that time but have stuck with the EPI's. I am using them with a set of even older EPI towers that have four 6 1/2" woofers and four tweeters in each. The 200's are fronts, and the towers spread the sound over the whole room. The 200's don't require a lot of amplifier power, 1/3 volume on a 60 watt receiver is pretty loud. The woofer foam surrounds had to be replaced once, and I blew a tweeter with a high volume Photon torpedo sound on my Commodore 64. I have seen some EPI tweeters in which the plastic front twisted from age or heat. If you find a set with bad surrounds, buy them, they are easy and inexpensive to repair, and you will save money and have better sound than with most of the speakers you would buy these days.